The Heart
by Badger the Gnome
Summary: During a sleepover, something is done that will change Danielle and Kitty's friendship forever. Post-Ascension, KittyDanielle, but no happy ending. Sorry folks.


The Heart  
  
A lovely little femslash fic by Lady Comet  
  
Notes: This is written for a challenge on my Evo slash mailing list. It's Kitty/Danielle, sans happy ending. Also contains Kitty/Lance and Kitty/Piotr. But it's still mainly femslash. And angst, mucho angst. Rating: PG. Enjoy, kids!  
  


* * *

  
"Are you the teacher of the heart?"  
  
She looked over at her, sprawled on the bed in her nightclothes, her dark hair spilling over her brown shoulders. She was so beautiful. It wasn't so often that she got to come visit the Institute, she and her Grandfather had been so busy getting resituated. But when she did she always stayed here, with her.  
  
"What?" she asked, forcing her eyes back to her book.  
  
Color rose to Danielle's cheeks. "Oh, nothing. It was nothing."  
  
She nodded, but she wasn't sure. Are you the teacher of the heart? She knew very well what she had said, even though she was playing dumb. It was probably better that way. Whatever she felt for her, if it really was anything, had to be ignored. After the battle with Apocalypse, Lance had come back to her, and everything was perfect again. She couldn't ruin it. Not now.  
  
Her eyes moved again to the form of the girl, lying on her bed, rolling over onto her side and pretending she hadn't just been staring. Really, she couldn't ignore that there was something...special about her. She had known it from the first time she had appeared, in her mind. It hadn't been reality, but now it was, and it was fantastic. She loved Lance, really, she did. But something about the way Danielle moved, and smiled, and laughed, and talked, and lived was just breathtaking.  
  
She looked up again, and their eyes met. Kitty could feel the color rising to her face, and she found she didn't care. Then it happened. Her body moved itself on its own, sliding out of the chair and joining her on the bed, as she sat up and looked at her in confusion.  
  
Without hesitating, she leaned forward, and pressed her lips to hers. It was so soft, so sweet. So different than it was with him. Danielle gasped into her, then after a moment relaxed, and moved her mouth a bit to kiss her back. They sat like that for a long time, barely moving, barely touching but for this random act. Eventually Kitty pulled away, her eyes downcast.  
  
Neither of them knew what to say now.  
  


* * *

  
Her eyes snapped open. It was morning; the sun was shining through her blinds, or at least trying to. She arched her back a bit to stretch, but did not get up. Slowly the night before came back to her, with all its wonder and awkwardness, and she thought she could still taste Danielle on her lips.  
  
And she felt like poison.  
  
Her heart writhed in its bounds, her thoughts now turning to him, and wondering what she had done. She loved him; she would never cheat on him. What had she done? She couldn't remember.  
  
She turned her head, knowing already that Danielle wasn't there. She must have left sometime during the night. A brief sigh escaped her lips, and she forced herself up, rubbing her eyes.  
  
Something had happened, and she knew that. But somehow she also knew that it was never going to be spoken of again, even between just the two of them. And no matter what it was, what it had been, he couldn't know. She couldn't tell him. It would ruin her perfection.  
  
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, wobbling toward the door to use the restroom. She still felt ill. Better not to think about it, better let it just go away. It had to go away.  
  
Didn't it?  
  


* * *

  
Her cab pulled up to the mansion, and she stepped out. Little had changed with this place, she thought, though much had changed with her. No braids adorned her dark hair now, only a leather headband covering her forehead, and a thin string to tie back the end of her hair. She looked older now, too, with more wisdom gained from the time spent with her people. And though she couldn't know it, she was still beautiful.  
  
She paid the driver and took her suitcase, climbing the few steps to the door as the car sped away. She hadn't been here in years. The door opened for her, and there was the lady Storm, also looking older in her own way. She smiled, and Danielle smiled back, walking in and letting the woman lead her on. Up the stairs they went, into the dorm hallways, her gray eyes darting around to see if she was there. But she wasn't, of course, why would she be?  
  
"Here it is," said the elegant African goddess, opening the door for her.  
  
Nodding, she walked inside, and put her suitcase on the bed. "Thank you."  
  
"Not a problem, my child. The Professor will want to see you soon, but let yourself get situated first. Do you remember where everything is?"  
  
"Yes, I think so," she replied. "Um, is Kitty still around?"  
  
She nodded. "Yes. She's still part of the team."  
  
"Great. Well, I think I'm set."  
  
"All right. I suppose I'll see you later. And, welcome back." And the door closed, and she was gone.  
  
A few moments passed before she moved again, leaving her suitcase untouched as she headed for the kitchen. It had been a long trip, and she had skipped lunch, so her stomach more than needed to be attended to. A small part of her mind, or her heart, prodded for her to go find Kitty first, to see how she was doing, if she was okay, if she even remembered her.  
  
Miraculously, she managed to remember where the kitchen was, even though her stay here had been so long ago. She heard voices through the door, and felt them in her mind, so instead of just opening it she just pushed it a bit to make a crack through which she could see who it was.  
  
It was her. Her hair was short now, cut off at her chin and curling just slightly towards her face. It was adorable. Her face still held the same innocence and life it always had, and she looked happy. Despite herself, the young mutant smiled, and opened the door further to let herself in.  
  
"...Hello Kitty."  
  
The short brunette looked up, and gasped, breaking into a grin and stumbling to her feet. "Oh my god, Danielle?"  
  
She grinned back, and returned her embrace once the other girl had come to her. "It's Dani now. How are you?"  
  
"I'm great!" She let her go, and gestured to the table. "This is my boyfriend, Piotr. Piotr, this is Danielle, er, Dani Moonstar, an old friend of mine."  
  
The words stung her, but she still managed to smile back, and look at him. He was a huge man, very built, with short dark hair and dark eyes, and a firm jaw. Just the type Kitty should go for.  
  
He smiled at her warmly, kindly, and said hello in an accent she couldn't place. She nodded her head, unable to say anything else.  
  
Kitty pulled her into a seat and sat back down, immediately starting in on gossip and catching up on old times, asking her where she had vanished to. She answered numbly, forcing down any feelings that rose up. She didn't know what she had expected to happen. After all, she was the one who had panicked and left that night. It's not like she had even tried. But, she told herself, she couldn't help it if she still desired.  
  
Are you the teacher of the heart?  
  
No, you never learned. 


End file.
